City of Vancouver appoints new chief urban planner from Calgary

Josh White (Queen's University)

Josh White has been appointed as the new General Manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability (PDS) for the City of Vancouver.

The announcement of the appointment was made today, and it follows the sudden departure of chief urban planner Theresa O’Donnell six months ago.

White has held various leadership positions within the City of Calgary’s planning development department, including his previous role as director of growth strategies and his current role as co-chief urban planner of Calgary, which he has held for more than two years.

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“Josh has a wealth of experience leading innovative change in the urban planning realm across Canada, and a strong record of responding to the many challenges facing growing cities today,” said Vancouver City Manager Paul Mochrie in a statement today.

“I’m thrilled to have him on board to lead PDS as we continue to implement Council’s agenda as it relates to streamlining land-use permitting, housing delivery, affordability and sustainability in Vancouver.”

According to the City of Vancouver, White helped create a new housing strategy for Calgary, including simplifying planning policy and regulations, overhauling development approvals systems, and overseeing strategic growth, growth funding and financing, and infrastructure planning. His work in Calgary has “resulted in improved planning outcomes, benchmarked as among the most efficient in Canada.”

Over the coming years and decades, Vancouver will face similar challenges with accommodating growth in relation to housing affordability and supply and addressing the city’s deficit in infrastructure and amenities.

Prior to taking on leadership positions in Calgary’s planning development department, White served as the senior policy advisor for former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi between 2010 and 2015.

White has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Queen’s University, and he began his career in the private sector as a consultant with Urban Strategies in Toronto.

According to Queen’s University’s profiles of prominent alumni, White focused on transit-oriented development (TOD) policy and implementation during his studies at the School of Urban and Regional Planning.

He is Vancouver’s second chief urban planner to hail from Calgary in recent memory, following Brent Toderian, who was Vancouver’s chief urban planner from 2006 to 2012 and Calgary’s manager of centre city planning and design from 2001 to 2006.

White will begin his new role as Vancouver’s chief urban planner on May 1, 2024. Matt Shillito will continue to serve as the Acting Director of Planning, with regulatory and discretionary responsibilities delegated by Council, including overseeing rezoning enquiries and applications and development permits.

“Vancouver is experiencing tremendous growth, and I’m committed to leading the City in managing this growth, as it continues its transformation and standing as one of the world’s most livable, sustainable and inclusive cities,” said White.

“I look forward to leading and collaborating with such a forward-thinking team of staff, stakeholders and partners to tackle the challenges that confront Vancouver, particularly facilitating more housing supply and improving affordability.”

There have been a number of leadership changes in City staff recently.

In October 2023, Steve Jackson was appointed as the General Manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, replacing Donnie Rosa, who departed in May 2023.

Then in December 2023, Margaret Wittgens was appointed as the new General Manger of Arts, Culture, and Community Services, replacing Sandra Singh, who is now a Deputy City Manager.

Earlier this month, Corrie Okell was named the new General Manger of Development, Buildings, and Licensing. She will replace Andrea Law, who is retiring after spending 34 years with the municipal government.

Okell first joined the City in 2018, and currently serves as the Director of Development and Building Permitting Services. To date, she focused on overhaul permitting to simplify, streamline, and expedite development and building approvals. She is also currently the chair of the City’s Development Permit Board.

“I’m delighted to step into the General Manager role with expanded responsibility for a dedicated team who are committed to making Vancouver a vibrant, safer, healthier and more accessible city,” said Okell.

“The City is doing transformational work in steering policies and services that shape and support how people build, work and live in Vancouver, and I’m excited to lead and continue to build on this.”

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